A PROFESSIONAL scaffolder who crashed into two parked cars on a residential Carlisle street and then failed to stop has been allowed to keep his licence.

The city’s Rickergate court heard that Ricky Lawrence, 32, who admitted that his driving was careless, caused almost £9,000 worth of damage when he swerved in his transit van and collided with the two cars.

It happened at 10.20am on November 13 last year as he drove along Boundary Road, Currock, the court heard.

The two parked cars which his van collided with were so badly damaged they are likely to be declared insurance write-offs, said prosecutor Neil White. Witnesses saw the defendant’s van swerving and careering down the road.

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“The defendant simply carried on driving and left the scene,” said Mr White. The owners of the damaged cars reported hearing loud bangs and going outside to find their cars badly damaged.

The force of the impact in the case of one of those cars was such that it was moved forward a short distance. The prosecutor went on to outline what Lawrence told police when they spoke to him.

“He said that he was in a rush because he had slept in.” The court heard that the defendant had no similar driving matters on his criminal record, though there was a threatening behaviour offence from 2014.

The defendant also admitted failing to stop at the scene of the accident.

Mark Shepherd, defending, accepted that Lawrence had put forward no proper explanation for his offence that day and nor did he have an excuse for leaving the scene of the accident.

“He is sorry for the owners of the two vehicles, who have been significantly inconvenienced and distressed by what happened to their vehicles,” said Mr Shepherd. “He realises that he has to be punished.”

Referring to the possibility of a driving ban, the lawyer said the defendant was one of only two people who worked at the scaffolding firm who were able to drive and losing his licence would have a major impact.

“The business has been going for three years and it’s been doing well,” continued the lawyer. Lawrence realised his actions had put everything in jeopardy by committing the two offences.

“It would jeopardise the business going forward,” said the lawyer, adding that other people who were innocent would suffer if the defendant – who already had five points on his licence – was given a ban. 

Magistrates listened as the defendant put forward an argument that a disqualification should be avoided because it would cause Lawrence exceptional hardship. They accepted that the defendant - and in particular his family - would suffer such hardship if he lost his job because of a ban.

They imposed a further eight points on his licence as well as a £490 fine with £85 costs and a £49 victim surcharge. The presiding magistrates warned Lawrence that he must now scrupulously avoid getting any more points.

“If you get even three points for a bald tyre,” said the magistrate, “you will fall to be disqualified." The defendant was also told he will not be able to use the exceptional hardship argument in court again for three years.

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